Even as Manchester City were being chalked up as title favourites, he knew it would not be easy. Even after an autumnal spree of wins and goals, he was aware of the threat.

From the wounded old guard, sure, and from the heavy-metal, heavy-pressing upstarts. But mainly from the other man to be parachuted in for a first stint in the Premier League, charged with picking up the pieces left by a broken regime and dragging his new club to the next level.

Mostly, Pep Guardiola was wary of Antonio Conte.

"A master tactician," he called the Italian in July, while Marti Perarnau, the Spanish journalist behind the dazzling Pep Confidential, has revealed that Conte has long been on Guardiola's radar.

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"I remember asking Pep in 2015 to name two coaches with the greatest potential and, without any hesitation, he said, '[Thomas] Tuchel and Conte'," Perarnau wrote in Pep Guardiola: The Evolution. "In private, Pep has gone as far as identifying Chelsea as one of the favourites to win the Premier League this year. Before the league kicked off Pep certainly saw Conte as one of his biggest threats."

Certain parts of Guardiola's managerial method have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, but his predictive powers appear to be intact: Chelsea are indeed a force to be reckoned with this season. While City have stuttered after a fine start, the Blues have come to the boil, winning 13 consecutive matches since the start of October and moving clear of the chasing pack. Victory over Tottenham on Wednesday night would extend their lead over second-placed Liverpool to eight points.

At the centre of it all has been Conte, a ball of energy and inspiration who is fast becoming the Premier League darling that many expected Guardiola to be.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Antonio Conte, Manager of Chelsea and Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City greet prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

It's worth remembering that there were doubts over the former Juventus boss. Stories relating to match-fixing lingered like a bad smell. Some questioned his ability to get his message across in English. Italy's involvement in Euro 2016 meant that he only pitched up in west London relatively late in the summer. Early in the season, it was the measured, polyglot Guardiola who was winning hearts and minds – even those belonging to the holdout naysayers who only respect achievements that occur on English soil. (Thank you, Mr Ibrahimovic, you're also free to go now.)

But as City have wavered and Guardiola has become bizarrely tetchy, Conte has come into his own.

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There is his tactical brilliance, of course: his shift to a 3-4-2-1 system, coupled with his reluctance to tinker unnecessarily, has brought the best out of Chelsea's players. The stability has helped new signings to settle in straight away (contrast David Luiz's performances with those of John Stones at the Etihad) and forged a side capable of both the gorgeous and the gritty.

But there's also a more pastoral element at play: perhaps Conte's biggest achievement is lifting the morale of a squad that had grown jaded during the final days of the second Jose Mourinho era.

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Relations were icy at points last term; Mourinho became increasingly distant, eventually accusing players of betraying him. By contrast, Conte has endeared himself to his charges with his openness and positive attitude. In training, he is every bit as demanding as you'd expect a top coach to be (his catchphrase isn't "Eat grass" for nothing), yet there is a lightness of touch that has struck a chord – especially with those who felt stifled under his predecessor.

Eden Hazard is one such player, thriving since being given more freedom. Diego Costa is another: the Premier League season is only 19 games old and already he has beaten his goal tally for the entirety of the 2015/16 campaign. The difference is astounding, but Costa explains it in simple terms. "I think it’s really important for a manager to be liked by his players," the forward said recently. "It creates a good atmosphere.

"Sometimes you have managers that have to be the boss, but this manager is a bit friendlier and there is closeness there. That’s good for us, to have a manager who is a person we can talk with, someone whose support we can count on in difficult moments. He is calm with the players and you can see the people love him more all the time."

Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte gestures from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on November 26, 2016. / AFP / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

For neutrals, too, there is something appealing about Conte. Perhaps it is the boyish smile or the crystalline eyes or the endearingly circuitous English. Perhaps it is the sight of him celebrating goals by bounding down the touchline like a man late for a wedding. Perhaps it is simply that he is a one-man argument for happiness in the workplace.

Whatever the explanation, one thing is clear: if Conte's players continue to buy into his puppy-dog enthusiasm in the months ahead, Chelsea are going to take some stopping. Pep Guardiola knew it and now we do too.